Adjustable textile drafting apparatus

ABSTRACT

THE GUIDE ARMS PIVOTALLY MOUNTS A REAR SADDLE WHICH IN TURN PIVOTALLY MOUNTS THE FRONT SADDLE. THE CENTRAL PRESSURE ROLLER IS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN THE FRONT SADDLE WHILE THE REAR PRESSURE ROLLER IS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN THE REAR SADDLE. ALSO, THE CENTRAL PRESSURE ROLLER AND REAR PRESSURE ROLLER ARE MOUNTED IN PLANES WHICH INTERSECT EACH OTHER TO FORM AN ENCLOSED ACUTE ANGLE THEREBY ALLOWING A WIDE RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT FOR LONG AND SHORT STAPLE FIBERS.

March 9, 1971 A.SCHILT KNECHT T L ADJUSTABLE TEXTiLE DRAFTING APPARATUSFiled July 11, 1968 IN VENTOR. 4z o L. F ScH/LTKNEC/IZ United StatesPatent 3,568,258 ADJUSTABLE TEXTILE DRAFTING APPARATUS AdolfSchiltknecht and Andr Lattion, Win'terthur, Switzerland, assignors toRieter Machine Works, Ltd., Winterthur, Switzerland 7 Filed July 11,1968, Ser. No'. 744,148

Claims priority, application Germany, July 13, 1967,

Int. Cl. D01h 5/56' US. Cl. 19-295 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSUREThe guide arms pivotally mounts a rear saddle which in turn pivotallymounts the front saddle. The central pressure roller is adjustablymounted in the front saddle while the rear pressure roller is adjustablymounted in the rear saddle. Also, the central pressure roller and rearpressure roller are mounted in planes which intersect each other to forman enclosed acute angle thereby allowing a wide range of adjustment forlong and short staple fibers.

This invention relates to an adjustable textile drafting apparatus forflyer and speed frames and spinning machines. More particularly, thisinvention relates to the mounting of the top pressure rollers in apivotal guide arm or weighing arm.

Heretofore, textile drafting arrangements have been known wherein threepressure rollers which press against corresponding drive rollers havebeen adjustably mounted to vary the spacing between each adjacentpressure roller. Generally, in order to permit adjustment in spacing,the pressure rollers have been secured in suitable holders or bearingswhich have been adjustably mounted in saddles on a guide arm above thedrive rollers. In some instances, a pair of saddles have been used tomount the three pressure rollers. In such instances, one saddle ispivotally supported in the guide arm and the rear pressure roller holderis displaceab ly secured within a rearwardly-extending lever arm of thesaddle. Also, a second saddle is pivotally supported in aforwardly-extending lever arm of the first saddle to receive the othertwo pressure rollers. The forward pressure roller holder is mounted in afront portion of the second saddle and the central pressure rollerholder is mounted in a rear portion of the second saddle.

However, while the pressure rollers or the various holders in thisarrangement can be mutually adjusted in order to vary the spacingtherebetween, the holder for the central pressure roller is disposed tobe displaceable in a plane parallel to the plane of the drafting field.

Further, because of the adjustability of the pressure rollers, the nipspacing of the main drafting zone can be adapted to the staple diagramof the fiber material of the material to be spun. However, in order tobe able to adjust the length of the pre-drafting field so that it alsocorresponds to the staple, the holder for the draw-in pressure roller isalso arranged to be adjustabl'y' fixed within a guideway extending in aplane parallel to the drafting field.

v Patented Mar. 9, 1971 ice Because of the mounting of the centralpressure roller and draw-in pressure roller in the above manner, adisadvantage has resulted in the case of the required guide arms ondrafting arrangements which have been adjustable for long staple fibers.That is, the holder for the draw-in pressure roller of the pre-draftingfield can only be brought up to the guideway for the holder of thecentral pressure roller after shortening of the main drafting field to aspace for short staple fibers. However, because of the long giidewaynecessary for long staple fibers for the holder of the central pressureroller, the distance between the draw-in pressure roller and" thecentral pressure roller cannot be further diminished and consequentlynot adjusted to a measure required for short staple fibers.

Also, in those known devices where the guideways are positioned parallelto each other and the guideway for the holder of the draw-in pressureroller is positioned at ahigher levelthan the guideway for the holder ofthe central pressure roller, the holder for the draw-in pressure rollercan only be brought up to the guideway for the holder of the centralpressure roller. Thus, after shortening of the distance in the maindrafting field, a corresponding shortening of the distance in thepre-drafting field cannot take place since a further moving of theholder of the draw-in roller towards the holder of the central pressureroller is impaired by the guideway for the latter.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to adjust the spacingbetween the pressure rollers of a drafting apparatus within a wideadjustment range and within a close adjustment range.

It is another object of the invention to mount the pressure rollers of adrafting apparatus in a manner to permit an adjustment for draftingshort staple or long staple.

It is another object of the invention to permit adjustment of thedraw-in pressure roller without interference from the central pressureroller.

Briefly, the invention provides a drafting arrangement wherein a singleguide arm mounts a pair of saddles for pivotal movement with respect toeach other. The rear saddle is pivotally mounted in the guide arm andmounts a rear draw-in roller holder whereas the front saddle ispivotally mounted in the front saddle and mounts a front pressure rollerholder and a central pressure roller holder. Also, the rear draw-inroller holder is mounted in an adjustable mannerwithin a guide slot ofthe rear saddle while the central pressure roller holder is similarlymounted in a guide slot of the front saddle which is disposed in a planedifferent from the plane of the rear saddle guide slot.

In one embodiment of the invention, the projected plane of the guideslot for the central pressure roller planes of the respective guideslots intersect each other with the plane of the guide slot for thecentral pressure roller directed upwardly towards the guide slot of therear saddle.

In either embodiment, the holder for the rear draw-in pressure roller isadjustable for narrow or close adjustment below the guide slot for thecentral pressure roller holder. Thus, the pressure rollers can beadjusted both description and appended claims taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view through adrafting apparatus of the invention arranged for short staple lengths;

FIG. 2 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 1 of the drafting apparatusarranged for long staple lengths; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the drafting apparatus includes a guide arm 1which is pivotally mounted on a machine frame about a pivot 2.,Similarly, a lever 3 is pivotally mounted in a stationary housing of themachine frame about a pivot 2' for applying a pressure force from acompression spring means 4 onto a closure lever 5 (FIG. 1) and, via thelever 5, on the guide arm 1. The closure lever 5 is pivotally mounted onthe guide arm 1 by a pin 6 which passes through the guide arm 1. The pin6 is disposed, as shown, above the point 3 at which the lever 3 acts onthe closure lever 5 to bias the closure lever 5 in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 1.

The guide arm 1 is constructed with a pair of depending lateral cheeks8, each of which includes a plurality of aligned bores. The checks 8support a pin 7 which passes through an opposed pair of bores while thepin 7 serves as a pivot axis to pivotally mount a rear saddle 9 Withinthe cheeks 8. The rear saddle 9 includes a plurality of alignedhorizontal bores for selectively receiving the pin 7. By inserting thepin 7 through selected pairs of aligned bores in the cheeks 8 and therear saddle 9, the pivot point of the rear saddle 9 relative to theguide arm 1 and lever arm ratio can be changed without changing theposition of the saddle 9 relative to the guide arm 1. A U- shapedtumbler roller holder 14 having a pair of depending lateral lugs 13(FIG. 3) overlies the guide arm 1 and pin 7 in order to preventunintentional lateral sliding of the pin 7 out of the bores in the guidearm 1.

The forward portion of the rear saddle 9 is U-shaped in cross-sectionwhile the rear portion is box-shaped in cross-section and includes aguide slot 10 in the lower wall for receiving a rear draw-in holder 12of a rear draw-in pressure roller 12'. The rear holder 12 is constructedso as to be adjusted and locked within the slot 10, for example, throughmeans of a screw and nut connection 11. Additionally, the rear portionof the rear saddle 9 has a second row of bores below the row of boresfor the pin 7. This second row of "bores are sized to receive a pin 15.

(FIG. 3) which serves as a bearing and pivot axis for a front saddle 16.

The front saddle 16 has a front lever end which is provided with a rowof bores to receive the pin and which carries a holder 17, as above, fora front pressure roller 17 and a rear lever arm which carries a holder18 for a central pressure roller 18'. The rear lever arm includes aguide slot :19 in which the holder 18 is adjusted and locked in place bya screw and nut connection as above. The guide slot 19 is disposed in aplane which intersects the plane of the guide slot 10 in the rear saddleso as to form an enclosed acute angle therewith. In this regard, theplane of the guide slot 19 slopes upwardly and towards the guide slot10, as viewed.

Referring to FIG. 1, in order to draft short staple lengths of fibers,the pin 7 is placed in a forward set of bores at the free end of theguide arm 1 as well as in a forward set of bores of the rear saddle 9.Also, the pin 15 is placed in a forward set of bores in the forwardportion of the rear saddle 9 and front saddle 16. Further, the holders12, 18 for the rear draw-in pressure roller 12 and central pressureroller 18 are moved into the foremost ends of the respective guide slots10, 19 and locked in place. The guide arm 1 is then pivoted incounterclockwise manner under the bias of the spring means 4 to causethe pressure rollers 12', 17', 18' to press against the respective driveor draw-01f rollers 20, 21, 22. In this position, the guide slot 19 ofthe holder 18 of the central pressure roller 18 extends at an anglerelative to the guide slot 10 for the rear draw-in holder 12 such thatthe planes of the respective guide slots 19, 10 intersect and the holder12 is positioned beneath the guide slot 19. 7

Referring to FIG. 2, in order to draft long stable lengths of fibers,the pin 7 is placed in a rear set of bores of the guide arm 1 and rearsaddle 9. Also, the pin 15 is placed in a rear set of bores in theforward portion of the rear saddle 9 and front saddle 15. Finally, theholders 12, 18 are moved into the rearmost ends of the respective guideslots 10, 19 and locked in place.

What is claimed is:

1. A drafting apparatus for textile machines comprising a guide arm,

a rear saddle pivotally mounted in said guide arm and including a firstguideway at the rear thereof for adjustably receiving a draw-in pressureroller therein,

a front saddle pivotally mounted in the front of said rear saddle, saidfront saddle including a second guideway at the rear thereof foradjustably receiving a central pressure roller therein and means at thefront thereof for receiving a front pressure roller, said secondguideway being disposed in a plane different from the plane of saidfirst guideway, and

a pin pivotally mounting said rear saddle in said guide arm, and aplurality of bores in said rear saddle and a plurality of bores in saidguide arm for selectively receiving said pin to vary the pivot axis ofsaid rear saddle.

2. A drafting apparatus for textile machines comprising a guide arm,

a rear saddle pivotally mounted in said guide arm and including a firstguideway at the rear thereof for adjustably receiving a draw-in pressureroller therein,

a front saddle pivotally mounted in the front of said rear saddle, saidfront saddle including a second guide way at the rear thereof foradjustably receiving 'a central pressure roller therein and means at thefront thereof for receiving a front pressure roller, said secondguideway being disposed in a plane different from the plane of saidfirst guideway, and

a pin pivotally mounting said front saddle in said rear saddle and aplurality of bores in said rear saddle and a plurality of bores in saidfront saddle for selectively receiving said pin to vary the pivot axisof said front saddle longitudinally of said front saddle.

3. A drafting apparatus for textile machines comprising a guide arm,

a rear saddle pivotally mounted in said guide arm apd including a firstguide way at the rear thereof adjustably receiving a draw-in pressureroller therein,

a front saddle pivotally mounted in the front of said rear saddle, saidfront saddle including a second guide way at the rear thereof adjustablyreceiving a central pressure roller therein and means at the frontthereof receiving a front pressure roller, said second guideway beingdisposed in a plane different from the plane of said first guide way andterminating at the rear end thereof in front of the front end of saidfirst guide way, said plane of said second guide way being directedupwardly towards said plane of said first guide way, said second guideway being pivotally mounted to pass through the projected plane of saidfirst guide way.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a holderadjustably mounted in said first guide way for mounting the draw-inpressure roller, said holder being adjustable to a position beneath saidsecond guide way.

5. A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the plane ofsaid second guide way encloses an acute angle with the projected planeof said first guide w y.

6. A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein FOREIGN PATENTSthe plane of said second guide way intersects said pro- 600,366 4/1948Great Britain jected plane of said first guide way in front of saidfirst 830,614 3/1960 Great Britain 19 279 gmde OTHER REFERENCESReferences Cited 5 Rieter, German application, 1,085,796 printed July21, UNITED STATES PATENTS 1960, 19267.

2,644,201 7/1953 Friday et a1 19--281X DO-RSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner1,554,987 9/1925 Butler 19260 U S Cl XR 3,080,618 3/1963 Schiltknecht19-295X

